Jorge Nogueira, captain of Guinea Bissau, says his team greatly respected Nigeria but did not allow the ‘big names’ in the Super Eagles squad to intimidate them.

“We respect all Nigerian players, but the truth is that names don’t play on the pitch,” he said.

On Friday, the Wild Dogs of Guinea Bissau stunned the Super Eagles 1-0 in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier, played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.

Nogueira told journalists during a post-match conference that in as much as his team respects the Super Eagles, they went into the game with the mentality that names don’t play football.

“So, they (Super Eagles) tried to do everything to break the will and spirit of our team as they created a lot of scoring opportunities, but our defence was up to the task.

“We remained strong and resolute and were optimistic that we could cause an upset here in Abuja,” he said.

The captain added that the pitch quality complicated issues for his team as it was very tough to play on and curtail the constant attacks from the Super Eagles.

On Monday, the Wild Dogs play hosts to the Super Eagles in the reverse fixture of the qualifiers in Marrakech, Morocco.

Guinea Bissau have Morocco as the home venue for now as they do not have a Confederation of African Football (CAF)-approved playing turf.

They currently top Group A of the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, with seven points from three matches, while Nigeria, with six points, drop to the second position.

The Leone Stars of Sierra Leone are in third position with two points, while Sao Tome and Principe, with one point, sit at the bottom of the log.

 (NAN)